1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication apparatus, a wireless communication system, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally a large number of methods of setting communication parameters for wireless communication have been considered. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No. 2004-193753 discusses a method of setting a network identifier for connection to a wireless LAN network.
Meanwhile, in a communication system constituting a network for wireless communication between communication apparatuses, assume a case where data communication is performed between a first and second wireless communication apparatuses and a job using the data is executed by the first wireless communication apparatus. In this case, the network connection between the first and second wireless communication apparatuses is maintained until the job is completed because the job completion of the first wireless communication apparatus has to be notified to the second wireless communication apparatus. More specifically, when communication is performed between a printer and a digital camera, data used in a printing job is transmitted from the camera to the printer. When the printer executes the printing job based on the data and completes the printing job, the printer notifies the camera of the completion of printing. In this case, the network connection between the printer and the digital camera is maintained from the beginning of the printing job transmission from the camera to the printer to the notification of printing job completion by the camera.
In the above-described case, assume that the third wireless communication apparatus requests communication to the first wireless communication apparatus and attempts setting of communication parameters. In this case, the third wireless communication apparatus is forced to wait until the job is completed by the first wireless communication apparatus and the job completion is notified to the second wireless communication apparatus. Therefore, if the job requires a long time before completion, the setting operation of communication parameters started by the third wireless communication apparatus faces a timeout.
More specifically, while a printer is executing a printing job for printing data transmitted by a first digital camera, if a second digital camera attempts to set communication parameters in the printer, the second digital camera is forced to wait until the printing job is completed. If the printing job requires a long time to complete, the setting operation of communication parameters started by the second digital camera faces a timeout, causing a situation where the second digital camera cannot set communication parameters in the printer, thereby the second digital camera can not print using the printer.